Is s 5 ue 1 1 20 - December NewsZone and views from Shannon Chamber, and Members WELCOME to our world > Three > Lufthansa Technik > Atlantic Aviation Group In Association with > Shannon Group plc > Intel > Shannon Foynes Port Company > Modular Automation > Action Plan for Jobs...plus lots more Minister for Education and Skills Launches Shannon Chamber Skillnet Shannon Chamber has set up a new Skillnet training network in response to a demand for new areas of training and for training that would be member-driven. The Network is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets, funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education. GROW YOUR BUSINESS The new Skillnet, which currently has 64 member companies – set to increase to 75 by year end - will deliver 722 training days to 358 trainees, five per cent of through training that is... which will be unemployed, by September 2016. Training will be cross-sectoral, demand-led and tailored to members’ specific needs, ensuring that member High companies are equipped with leading edge knowledge and techniques. Training quality Cost efficient programme content will enhance Shannon’s capability as a multi-sector centre of excellence and facilitate intra-company and intra-sectoral networking for collective gain. The Shannon Chamber Skillnet will be led by a steering group, which comprises: Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber; Liam Kirby, Operations Training Co- Ordinator, Genworth Financial; Marie Clifford, MD, Advanced Technical Concepts; Vicky Howard, HR Manager, Reagecon; Edmund Jennings, MD, The Cregg Group; Aidan McMahon, MD, Gentian Services Ltd; Vivian Farrell, Business Strategy & Marketing Manager, Modular Automation; David Brown, Finance Manager, Idex Convenient Pump Technologies; Elaine Hartigan, HR Manger, PTG Hi-Life Tools; and Michelle Relevant Quaid, Senior HR Business Partner, Operations, Element Six Group. Shannon Chamber’s Cillian Griffey has been appointed Network Manager. As Minister Jan O’Sullivan said at the launch: “The new Shannon Chamber Skillnet, through catering for the needs of a mix of sectors, reflective of Chamber membership, and through including training for the unemployed in its training schedule, will greatly enhance the operational capacity of its membership through delivering training at many levels Training Programme: 2016 – shop floor, operational and Minister for Education and Skills, Jan Date Course Title executive.” O’Sullivan T.D., with members of the January 27th: Intermediate Excel steering group. February 3rd: Present and Express with Confidence For more information about Shannon Chamber Skillnet contact: February 11th: PowerPoint Cillian Griffey, Network Manager February 17th: Fundamentals of Employment Law T: 061 360611 February 25th: Digital Media for Business M: 086 1304148 March 3rd: MS Project E: [email protected] March 10th: Influencing and Negotiating Skills www.shannonchamber.ie/skillnet March 22nd: Leadership Development to Enhance Leaders’ Capabilities March 30th: Advanced Excel April 7th: Supervisory Management April 12th PowerPoint April 28th: Business Finance for Managers May 4th: Present and Express with Confidence May 18th: Advanced Excel May 25th: Fundamentals of Employment Law June 28th: PowerPoint The Shannon Chamber Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, July 13th: MS Word an initiative of Skillnets funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills. August 10th: Business Finance for Managers 2 Zone Editorial: Dympna O’Callaghan. Design: Conor Diver. Photography: Eamon Ward. © Shannon Chamber 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format without prior permission of Shannon Chamber. A New Deliverable from A Chamber President’s View… Shannon Chamber of Shannon Chamber When the idea of a new Chamber publication was first Kevin Thompstone has been president of Shannon Chamber for the past proposed we had no real concept of what the end product two years. He has presided over some innovative undertakings that the would look like. We knew we did not want it to be a rehash Chamber has introduced and now, as he steps aside to focus solely on of news stories about events that had passed; this type of his extremely busy business commitments, he shares his views on the content is now well catered for in our website news section learnings he will take with him as he moves on. (www.shannonchamber.ie/news). What we did want to project, and what we knew was not being adequately told, Q: What is the role of Shannon Chamber in its business community? was the Shannon story – the long tradition of business, the A: It’s the voice of business in Shannon, not just a loud voice but an informed synergies that exist between the multinationals and SMEs and and action-orientated voice. Shannon Chamber is a membership organisation; its the innovative undertakings that are happening in and around members are drawn from a wide spectrum of sectors, business sizes and types Shannon on a daily basis. – each has a different, but oftentimes overlapping, set of needs and issues. The Chamber’s role is to inform itself of those issues, understand them, and figure As a nation, we constantly acknowledge our sporting heroes. out how to provide solutions, through engaging with the stakeholders who can We need to do the same for our business heroes – they are the provide those solutions. people taking the risks; they are the people creating the jobs. We also need to acknowledge the Government’s contribution to Shannon Chamber is also the conduit for telling the wider business improving the environment for businesses to succeed. community – regional, national and international – what its members are doing. If people understand what businesses are How better to do that than to create a platform doing, if they know how it impacts on their lives, there is a to project all that is good about business in much better chance of engagement with business. the Shannon region. Our new iZone will be that ‘Information Zone’ - it will be Shannon Chamber also creates opportunities for the mechanism through which we, as members to engage and, where members engage, a Chamber, will share the news and opportunities arise. The Chamber is creating views not only of the Chamber but of an environment where members can develop members across sectors and operating opportunities which they can subsequently realise. as SMEs and multinationals. Q: What have you learnt about the Chamber We thank all contributors to this since becoming President? first issue for sharing their views A: Having worked in the public sector and been at on business and for giving us such the receiving end of representative organisations, insightful information about their in Shannon Chamber I have witnessed an operations. Some companies, such as organisation that has stepped away from the herd, Modular Automation, start off as small taken time out to analyse, understand and be sub-suppliers but through the energy informed before presenting its case. This approach and commitment of management is more likely to get traction, to achieve results. grow to become sizable operators in their niche sectors; such companies sit I’ve seen a Chamber that has taken a deep dive into its alongside multinationals and global brands strategic relevance, looked at best practice worldwide, such as Intel and Lufthansa Technik. developed clarity about what’s important and then moved on to creating its own unique value. I’ve seen a Chamber Our CEO and HR Forums have provided a facility that listens to and is very close to its customers, keen to learn whereby CEOs and HR practitioners from a range about and understand their issues and follow up with a speedy of sectors come together to share experiences and pain response. points; we want iZone to be a Forum of a different type…for the sharing of ideas, issues, and news. Q: How has the Chamber benefited from your personal business engagements? A big thank you to all contributors: Three, Atlantic Aviation A: My work, as an international economic development consultant (www. Group, Career Decisions, Grant Thornton, Intel, Local Enterprise thompstonegroup.com), has taken me far and wide – to Central Asia, the Gulf Office (LEO) Clare, Lufthansa Technik Shannon Ltd, Modular region, Africa, Eastern Europe and places such as Armenia, Uganda, Gambia, Automation, Shannon Group, Shannon Foynes Port Company, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kazakhstan – countries with Shannon Chamber Skillnet and the University of Limerick. very diverse investment bases. There’s as much learning from that as there is We’re delighted to launch this first issue of Zone . delivery; you learn from other places, how approaches and models have been updated and I have been able to bring that back to Shannon to the work of the As our team (pictured on front cover, from left): Kevin Thompstone, Chamber and that of other key stakeholders in the region. president; Dympna O’Callaghan, public relations; Cillian Griffey, Shannon Chamber Skillnet manager; Lijana Kizaite, administrator and events co-ordinator; Jackie Finucane, accounts; and Helen Downes, chief executive, say….Welcome to our world. Kevin is a founder director of The Shannon Venue, and is also a board We hope that you enjoy the read! member of Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre, the International Advisory Board of the Kemmy Business School at UL, a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors, and an active member of the Institute of Directors. Helen Downes Shannon Chamber is extremely appreciative of the time Kevin has given to Chief Executive the Chamber during his term of office. Zone 3 The National Aviation Policy for Ireland points to the high level of collaboration and supportive competition that exists within the aviation community as the key differentiators between the Irish aviation system and other competitor countries. It suggests that the inter-dependence of the different service providers in completing specialist tasks should be encouraged and facilitated to allow the Irish aviation sector to offer a total package of services.